Today: Showers Likely, High in Mid 60s

December 8, 1978

Washington: Today -- Cloudy, high in mid 60s, low in mid 50s. Chance of showers is 70 percent through tonight. There is also a chance of thunderstorms. Winds will be southerly at 15 mph. Saturday -- Cloudy with chance of showers, high near 60.

Maryland and Virginia: Today -- Cloudy with a chance of showers or thunderstorms, high in 50s to the west and 60s to the east. The lows will be in the 50s. Saturday -- Cloudy with a chance of showers, high in 60s.

Lower Potomac and Chesapeake Bay: Today -- Fair, visibility more than five miles except in rain. Winds will be from the south at 15 knots. Waves in unprotected waters will be 2 feet.

Extended Area Outlook for Sunday through Tuesday: Gradual clearing on Sunday, then fair weather for the rest of the period. The highs will average in the 40s to low 50s and lows in the 20s to the 30s. Normal Washington temperatures for the period will be a high of 46 and a low of 30.

West Virginia: Today -- Cloudy with a chance of showers or thunderstorms, highs in the 50s to low 60s, lows in the 40s to low 50s. Saturday -- Showers likely, high in the upper 40s to mid 50s.

The Nation Yesterday: A winter storm still brought snow to the upper Midwest, the south and central Rockies and in Arizona and triggered severe weather in part of the south. Very cold temperatures continued behind the storm over the Great Plains across the Rockies and the intermountain region to the Pacific Coast. Over a foot of snow fell in the mountains in southeast Arizona today, roads south and east of Tucson remained very hazardous. Most other snow that fell was light, but freezing rain coating roads made travel dangerous in parts of Missouri and Illinois. Snow mixed with some freezing precipitation is expected to continue over portions of north Texas, Missouri and Illinois. Ice storm warnings are in effect from south central Missouri into northeastern Illinois. A winter storm watch and advisory is posted for portions of north Texas for freezing precipitation. Travel advisories are in effect for tonight for hazardous driving conditions due to snow reach from lower Michigan, Wisconsin, through portions of Missouri, all of Oklahoma and over the eastern Plains, the central and southwest mountains in New Mexico and the White Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The frontal system with the storm triggered showers and thunder showers from the lower Mississippi Valley northward into the Ohio Valley. Severe thunder-storms moved over Louisiana, Mississippi and west Tennessee. During the evening a tornado dipped down near Dodson, Al., another twister knocked down trees and damaged buildings near Covington, Tn. During the afternoon heavy rain fell from Arkansas across west Tennessee into Kentucky.

The National Weather Forecast for today -- Snow will fall over the upper Great Lakes region and in most of the mid-Mississippi Valley. Snow flurries lwil fall over the southern Great Plains with some freezing rain over parts of north Texas and lower Michigan. Showers and thundershowers will be spread from the eastern half of Texas, across the lower Mississippi Valley through Alabama and northern Georgia, over the Appalachians, the Tennessee and Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic Coast states. Rain will cover New York and New England. Freezing rain will develop in southern portions of northern New England with snow in the north. Showers will dampen western Washington, with snow flurries over the eastern portions and over the Montana mountains. Elsewhere, partly cloudy or fair skies will prevail. Except for northern New England it will be mild from the Atlantic Coast through the western slopes of the Appalachians. Elsewhere it will be cold or very cold.

The Council of Governments' Air Quality Index for yesterday showed the high reading in the Washington area during the 3 p.m. period was 16 for the pollutant, particulate matter. Index values between 0 and 24 indicate good air quality. When the index exceeds 100 the air is considered very unhealthy and individuals with lung, heart and eye ailments are urged to restrict their activity. The forecast for today indicates that the air quality will remain the same.

The National Weather Service forecasts the Potomac River stage at Little Falls should rise to 3.9 feet today.